Bill could lead to more tax money for local mass transit systems

Under a bill in the Legislature, public transit agencies in San Diego County could ask voters for new taxes to beef up trolley and bus operations in their own service areas.

Floating such levies is currently under the purview of the San Diego Association of Governments, but public trust in the agency has eroded somewhat of late and the region is facing a potentially sizable shortage of transportation dollars.

For months last year, SANDAG officials told the public that Measure A, a proposed half-cent tax hike that went on the November ballot, would bring in about $18 billion over 40 years for a host of specific projects. The measure failed to get the required two-thirds voter approval.

Following the vote — and a string of media coverage, led by Voice of San Diego, challenging the revenue projections — the agency said the way it calculated proceeds from sales taxes had been overly optimistic.

In light of these issues, the new legislation, Assembly Bill 805, would extend taxing authority to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and the North County Transit District. Voting boundaries for such tax-and-spend blueprints would likely be based on each transit agency’s service territory, but details have not been finalized.

“Taxpayers deserve more than they’ve received in the past from SANDAG,” said the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego. “Anyone who watched the Measure A debacle and its fallout knows it’s time to reform the way we raise and spend transportation dollars in the San Diego region.”

Neither of the public transit agencies has taken an official stance on the bill, which is made significantly more complicated because it also envisions a major shake-up of the power dynamics on the SANDAG board and seeks to establish an independent auditor for the agency.

SANDAG’s executive director, Gary Gallegos, who has come under increasing criticism by environmentalists and transit advocates in recent years, declined to comment on the bill.

The Republican Party of San Diego County, which has been a prominent critic of SANDAG, also declined to discuss the legislation.

Ron Roberts, a county supervisor and chairman of the SANDAG board, said the agency’s executive committee hasn’t had a chance to review the bill. But he added, “I’m always wary of Sacramento-led efforts to direct local issues.”

When SANDAG considers a tax proposal, its board currently must vote twice — once using a straight tally of elected officials and the other using a weighted vote proportional to the the populations they represent. This dual-vote structure reinforces the need for region-wide consensus on the board because it’s easier to nix an idea than to gain approval.

The new legislation, as it’s written now, would do away with the straight-tally vote and rely solely on proportional representation — and that could give big cities such as San Diego, Chula Vista and Oceanside significantly more power on the board.

“When billions of dollars of taxpayer money are at stake, as well as the work commutes and public health of every San Diegan, we need to strengthen the checks and balances for the people,” Gonzalez Fletcher said. “The current system is beholden to an arcane voting system that doesn’t reflect the county’s population and concentrates too much power with bureaucrats instead of the leaders that are elected to make tough decisions.”

While San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s office said it’s still reviewing the legislation, smaller and more suburban cities have already come out against the idea.

“I’m very concerned that it would supplant what has been great regional cooperation with urban domination,” said Poway Mayor Steve Vaus. “It would disenfranchise over half the citizens in the county.”

Some environmental groups have praised AB 805 in hopes it would bring more money for mass transit, but other groups have taken a more cautious approach.

“We have not formally weighed in on the bill yet,” said Colin Parent, policy counsel for the transportation think tank Circulate San Diego. “However, we like many elements in it.

“Allowing MTS and NCTD to pursue their own revenue measures makes a lot of sense,” he added. “We will be suggesting clarifying amendments to the author to ensure that the transit agencies can also raise funds for the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that support a successful transit network.”

It’s unclear when the legislation might come before a committee for discussion and whether it would need a two-thirds vote in the Legislature for passage.